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Archive for April, 2011

Statement by the Press Secretary on Journalists Killed or Wounded in Libya.

We were saddened to learn of the death of film director and photographer Tim Hetherington while working in Misrata, and we are deeply concerned about the well being of other journalists who were wounded alongside him. Journalists across the globe risk their lives each day to keep us informed, demand accountability from world leaders, and give a voice to those who would not otherwise be heard. The Libyan government and all governments across the world must take steps to protect journalists doing this vital work. The United States will work to do everything possible to assist those who were injured in getting the care they need. Our thoughts are with these brave journalists and their loved ones.

Photos taken this afternoon at the Queen’s Park Savannah and Botanical Gardens in Port of Spain, Trinidad. It has to be said that the huge size of the Tab and the fact you have to touch the screen to snap the pic does not make for very steady shots. I subsequently realized that I had the Tab set to a resolution of 800 X 600 instead of 2048 X 1536. That explains the low quality.

I subscribe to a pretty broad range of feeds that expose me to things I might not normally know about. This evening I learned about a troubling phenomenon in Bangladesh, Pakistan and Nepal called ‘eve teasing’. Wikipedia describes it in this way:

Eve teasing is a euphemism used in India and sometimes Pakistan, Bangladesh and Nepal for public sexual harassment, street harassment or molestation of women by men, with eve being a reference to the biblical Eve.

The Uncultured Project spoke to a few women in Bangladesh about it.

The video’s description gives a bit of background on ‘eve teasing’:

“It’s a great, great, GREAT psychological torture because it makes us so weak. We feel so weak. We feel so repressed.”

Recently Bangladesh made headlines after a 14 year old girl was raped and then stoned to death by religious fatwa. Sadly, while these aren’t an everyday occurrence, they are more common than most people think.

In this video, I share a conversation I had with some women (some of whom were local lawyers) about a problem called “Eve Teasing”. Eve teasing is a euphemism for verbal and physical harassment of women by men. Sometimes it can even lead to rape.

There was a lot of discussion – I couldn’t translate everything. But I hope this gives a picture of a part of Bangladesh that many women have to face. It’s a problem, these women at least, feel the middle class bear the most

Slut Walk took over the streets of Toronto today as large numbers of people turned out to protest a remark made by a Toronto Police Officer which suggested that women could avoid rape by not dressing like “sluts“. That the statement was made during a safety briefing at York University is even more stunning.

The remark prompted activists to organize Slut Walk on April 3, 2011 to demand greater sensitivity from the Toronto Police. While I am a supporter of the Toronto Police Service (my brother has been an officer in it for almost two decades and I even worked for them briefly) there is always room for improvement. Very proud that the people of Toronto always demand better.

From the Slut Walk site:

As the city’s major protective service, the Toronto Police have perpetuated the myth and stereotype of ‘the slut’, and in doing so have failed us. With sexual assault already a significantly under-reported crime, survivors have now been given even less of a reason to go to the Police, for fear that they could be blamed. Being assaulted isn’t about what you wear; it’s not even about sex; but using a pejorative term to rationalize inexcusable behaviour creates an environment in which it’s okay to blame the victim.

Historically, the term ‘slut’ has carried a predominantly negative connotation. Aimed at those who are sexually promiscuous, be it for work or pleasure, it has primarily been women who have suffered under the burden of this label. And whether dished out as a serious indictment of one’s character or merely as a flippant insult, the intent behind the word is always to wound, so we’re taking it back. “Slut” is being re-appropriated.

We are tired of being oppressed by slut-shaming; of being judged by our sexuality and feeling unsafe as a result. Being in charge of our sexual lives should not mean that we are opening ourselves to an expectation of violence, regardless if we participate in sex for pleasure or work. No one should equate enjoying sex with attracting sexual assault.

We are a movement demanding that our voices be heard. We are here to call foul on our Police Force and demand change. We want Toronto Police Services to take serious steps to regain our trust. We want to feel that we will be respected and protected should we ever need them, but more importantly be certain that those charged with our safety have a true understanding of what it is to be a survivor of sexual assault — slut or otherwise.

We are tired of speeches filled with lip service and the apologies that accompany them. What we want is meaningful dialogue and we are doing something about it: WE ARE COMING TOGETHER. As people from all gender expressions and orientations, all walks of life, levels of employment and education, all races, ages, abilities, and backgrounds, from all points of this city and elsewhere.